


Red

by acidilicious



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Dirty Talk, M/M, Oh No Death, Smut, bottom sunggyu my lifeblood, gratuitous mushiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 05:07:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5079034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acidilicious/pseuds/acidilicious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every step of their life was connected by a single element: the color red.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on AFF under the same name! Big thanks to my main lad Ryan for proofreading this~

_**(i)Red was the colour of the shirt Sunggyu wore the day they met, catching the latter’s eye in ways he had never experienced before.** _

 

Woohyun had become an agitated kid ever since passing the Woollim auditions: what if he wasn’t up to the task? What if he never debuted? His thoughts haunted him like a poltergeist, and he couldn’t get them out of his mind. Woohyun’s worries made him shiver, his movements were sluggish, and his mood had hit rock bottom.

He wasn’t supposed to feel this way, he was supposed to celebrate, to feel  _happiness_.  But instead of seeing a bright future ahead of him, trainee days felt like yet another hurdle in his path.

 

Woohyun was making his way towards the practice room, looking down at the ground right as he bumped into another trainee.

 

 **“Hey, careful where you’re going,”**  said the stranger.  He then took a closer look at Woohyun.  **“You’re the new kid, aren’t you?  I’m Sunggyu, vocalist in training. And you’re…?”**

 

 **“ Woohyun. Name’s Woohyun,”**  the boy said as he looked at the other.

 

What he then felt was completely new to him. This Sunggyu guy, he was dressed badly, in a tacky red graphic shirt and used gray sweatpants two sizes too large, and yet Woohyun couldn’t take his eyes off him. A strong aura emanated from him, an edge he hadn’t seen in anyone else before.

 

His heart sank into his stomach out of pure anxiety while blood rushed up to his cheeks. He had just met Sunggyu, what even was happening? Woohyun knew, but didn’t want to admit it. Avoiding his newfound acquaintance’s gaze, Woohyun looked right next to Sunggyu, where the practice room’s door was. Hopefully the elder would get the message. 

 

 **“Oh, you’re looking for the practice room? It’s right there,”**  Sunggyu answered, pointing at the door they were only a dozen steps away from.  Woohyun wasted no time at all and hurried there right as Sunggyu uttered his last word, not wishing to be near the other vocalist any longer.

 

Woohyun’s heart was a ticking time bomb, except he had no idea when the counter would reach zero. He needed to get a grip, else the nightmare named “his trainee days” would become a lot worse. Woohyun wasn’t the best dancer to begin with, but he still trained a lot more than he usually did: anything to take Sunggyu off his mind was a good thing, he thought.

 

Woohyun trained for months. Of course, he couldn’t avoid Sunggyu forever: and so they began talking to each other a lot more, interacting a few times a day, then incredibly often.  As the days passed, the two men learned more about each other: Sunggyu was a rocker at heart, while Woohyun preferred ballads.  Woohyun thought they complimented each other well. They balanced things out.

 

Every time they spoke, Woohyun’s voice went a little higher, he giggled more, and he overall felt a lot better. Sunggyu didn’t seem to notice, and Woohyun liked that.  Sunggyu didn’t need to know he had flipped the boy’s heart upside down the moment they met.

 

During the trainee days, Woollim’s CEO unofficially made Woohyun leader of the trainees, and Sunggyu congratulated him: the shadowy clouds that once floated above Woohyun’s head had dissipated, and his skies were clear.  He had hope.  Maybe there weren’t that many obstacles in front of him, after all.

 

After a year, seven trainees were set to debut as Infinite.  Woohyun and Sunggyu were part of the lineup, and ultimately, Sunggyu was set to be the leader.

 

It would be a lie to say Woohyun wasn’t even a bit disappointed.  But it would be fine, he was certain.

 

_**(ii)     Red was the colour of anger; the rage that flowed through Sunggyu’s veins and froze Woohyun’s heart.** _

 

**“Sunggyu, _I_  was the leader of the trainees before you took over this group, so I believe I’m in a better position to lead the others around during a rushed schedule than _you_.”**

 

The boys had argued in the practice room over leadership qualities, and something had gone terribly awry.

 

Woohyun was sprawled on the floor, pushed to the ground by Sunggyu with one quick shove. The leader usually didn’t lash out on others this way, so why was he acting like this?  He was usually able to take more verbal lashing than that…But perhaps insulting his leadership was a mistake.  Sunggyu took great pride over it. Much to Woohyun’s despair, Sunggyu’s anger turned out to be as passionate as his love of music: it was frank, driven, and unfortunately, quite fierce.

 

Infinite had filmed a music video filled with fight scenes and violence not too long ago, which Woohyun had participated to, but unlike the acts of violence that were being perpetrated right that moment, the music video was all acting. Simple make-believe, meant to entertain and captivate crowds with ultraviolence.

 

**“What the hell is your damage, Kim Sunggyu? You really think this is how a good leader would act? You’re trash. I’m impressed, you’re clearly the CEO’s favourite.”**

 

Woohyun nailed the action scenes in their music video, but it was a stark contrast to who he was in real life: a coward. And as sharp as his tongue sometimes was, he had more bark than bite. He saw himself as a mere bastard mutt that could not fight back, while the ominous look in Sunggyu’s eyes was reminiscent of a rabies-ridden wolf.

 

But Woohyun knew he couldn’t let himself be abused this way. As Sunggyu still stood up in front of Woohyun, gaze still filled with displeasure, the younger one took the leader by surprise, rising from the floor quickly while hitting him to the stomach with his elbow. Sunggyu then proceeded to become the one knocked down to the ground. But he mirrored Woohyun’s moves, and hit back.

 

Blow by blow, the atmosphere worsened. Punch by punch, hit by hit, wounds opened and blood was spilled. Their movements flowed like water while the tango of violence they were dancing seemed to be neverending. The two idols’ adrenaline rush pushed them to the limits, willing to fight until their adversary was completely knocked out. It’s only as Sunggyu was ready to punch Woohyun in the face one last time that someone walked in, ending the battle in a draw. It was Sungyeol, one of the group’s youngest members. To show such bad behaviour in front of a dongsaeng was quite embarrassing to both Woohyun and Sunggyu.

 

 **“What the fuck are you two doing?”**  Sungyeol snarled as he walked upon the mess.  **“I’m sorry, but as two of the eldest members of the group, I have no idea why you thought it would be a good idea to do this. I get it, our schedule is complete hell lately, but take out your stress in other ways, maybe.”**

 

Sungyeol pulled Sunggyu away from Woohyun so they could get away from each other, distract themselves and calm down a little. The fight ended with no major injuries, but with a clear loser: Woohyun came out badly bruised, both physically and emotionally. Their showdown lasted an eternity to Woohyun, creating a rift between him and Sunggyu which only widened with every passing moment. It was then that a disconnection between the two would be made, with a sick game of the silent treatment played by both of them for the following months.

 

Woohyun left the practice room last, the blood of his wounds staining the wooden floor shining  _red_ , and his heart feeling cold and empty.

 

_**(iii)     Red was the colour of Woohyun’s scarf, whose undone thread Sunggyu used to pull the other to him, gracing him with his first kiss.** _

 

They hadn’t spoken in what felt like decades to Woohyun. Or centuries? Or a millennium? Woohyun had lost track of time. Moments without Sunggyu made clocks tick in slow motion: seconds became minutes, minutes became hours. Woohyun’s heart was cold as the whine in Sunggyu’s head voice.  But that, Sunggyu did not know. The leader had no idea his bandmate had those kind of feelings for him. Or at least that’s what Woohyun thought. Perhaps he was a little clueless? Well, he was oblivious enough to be blind to the fact Sunggyu could read him like an open book.

 

Woohyun only figured out how wrong he had been all this time on a cold January night – The vocalist had been freezing, wearing one of those big knitted scarves he dearly loved, this one being  _red_  as crimson.

 

 **“What do you think you’re doing, bundled up like this? You’re go** **ing to catch a cold,”** Sunggyu said in a completely deadpan tone as he walked out of the Woollim building and stood next to Woohyun.

 

He didn’t expect to see him there that night. In fact, he felt a little awkward, seeing Sunggyu there after avoiding him for so long. The two had fought a few months ago, teeth and claws bared, so why was his senior speaking to him as if it had never happened?

 

 **“Hmph, I’ll be fine, you know. I feel cold easily, it’s normal that I’m dressed like this,”**  Woohyun retorted while he looked in Sunggyu’s opposite direction, not willing to show any sort of emotional weakness to the elder.

 

It would be embarrassing if Sunggyu found out how bad Woohyun needed him on a daily basis…if he were to know, Woohyun would just crawl into a hole, leave the real world and never come back to the surface. It’s not that he didn’t enjoy showing affection – god knows how much he adored telling his fans how much he loves them – but rather that he couldn’t get himself to face his emotions. He was sentimental and whiny when it came to Sunggyu, and those feelings were the bane of his existence.

 

Tension could be felt between both men, and they were dead silent, so Sunggyu decided to break the ice once more.

 

 **“I don’t usually say things like this, but I’m sorry for whatever happened back then. Maybe I was a little rough.”** Sunggyu seemed to be earnest in his words.  Woohyun’s once-frozen heart began to thaw.

 

The moment he mustered up enough courage to even slide a word into the conversation, Sunggyu decided to continue.

 

**“You’ve been out of it lately. I had no idea our fight would affect you this badly, to be honest. That’s why I made sure to apologize and check up on you, Woohyun.”**

 

The way Sunggyu ended his sentence, the tone he used as he uttered Woohyun’s name sent a shiver down the latter’s spine. Was he messing with him on purpose?  Did he know how he felt about him?  Woohyun tightened his fists in response, the tension in the air still standing strong. He was starting to be visibly upset by Sunggyu’s behaviour, and could only wish he wouldn’t break down at some point.

 

 **“Well, thanks for worrying about me, I guess. Not that I needed it, but it’s fine.”**   Woohyun finally managed to say something, but it was clear as day that he was lying through his teeth. A needy man could be found underneath his amorous exterior, and his cover was beginning to rip into shreds.

 

Sunggyu faintly grinned as Woohyun answered: the leader had figured Woohyun’s heart out long ago, and to see him flustered pleased him to no end.  Sunggyu shifted a little towards Woohyun, earning a stern look from him which only amused Sunggyu further. He then started pulling at Woohyun’s scarf, with the younger one only uttering a mere  **“What the hell are you doing?”**

 

Sunggyu smirked.  **“Oh, there’s just a loose thread on your scarf, so let me just…pull it a little-“**

 

But Sunggyu pulled more than just a part of Woohyun’s scarf: he pulled all of him along with it, and positioned himself just so their lips would crash at the perfect moment. Naturally, it left Woohyun absolutely dumbfounded, not entirely processing what was currently happening. Time didn’t pass slowly now; it had completely stopped. Woohyun’s heart was heating up again, with a warmth as  _red_  as the material of his scarf, the thread of love Sunggyu had subtly entwined between both their fingers as they kissed.

 

_**(iv)     Red was the colour of Sunggyu’s hair, which Woohyun loved to ruffle during the day, and passionately pull at night.** _

 

Woohyun always described his relationship with Sunggyu as black and white. A mushy person at heart, saying that made Woohyun’s heart flutter: after all, black and white were Sunggyu’s favourite colours. All the little things that reminded Woohyun of his lover made him feel not as worthless, and a lot more complete:  he complimented his other half always so nicely, and Sunggyu pushed Woohyun’s worries further away day by day. Woohyun’s issues stemmed from all the leftovers of love he used to be unable to show, and now that he had Sunggyu with him, he had no love left to give to anyone else but the one he called his soulmate.

 

White as snow, their love was pure and boundless. Soft looks were given to each other throughout the day, while sharp caresses turned their love black at night, as dark as the lusty stare they had in their eyes for hours, waiting for the day to end in order to fulfill some of their dirtier promises.

 

Woohyun and Sunggyu both liked it rough. It was unholy, the opposite of the behaviour they showed in public, and it was dangerous: but the trust they had in each other and the respect for their fellow partner’s boundaries made their love the purest it could be whilst being the most sinful.

 

Woohyun pushed Sunggyu down to his knees in one swift movement, taking control of the situation.

 

**“You like it when I do this to you, huh?  You love being a bottom bitch, you’re just a little slut, all for me.  Please, just beg for me a little. “**

 

Unsurprisingly, Sunggyu was a very vocal person.  As his moans and pleas echoed like the sweetest melody in Woohyun’s ears, the latter pulled Sunggyu’s red locks even harder, earning a choke and a whine from him, still placed between Woohyun’s legs. Nighttime was the only moment during which Woohyun could feel in absolute control: although Sunggyu was Infinite’s leader, he proved himself to be quite submissive in bed, mewling at Woohyun’s every touch, always asking for more.  It may have seemed absurd to others, but Sunggyu’s absolute compliance turned Woohyun on even more.

 

Woohyun pushed Sunggyu’s head this time, making sure he would deepthroat most of him.  He repeated the movement until Sunggyu had tears in his eyes and spit running down his lips: it was quite a filthy sight, but to Woohyun, it was art.

 

As Woohyun came from Sunggyu’s expertise, he looked at his lover, cheeks tinted _red_  by lust.

 

_**(v)     Red was the colour of the walls of the flat Woohyun and Sunggyu bought once they moved in. Woohyun picked it, and Sunggyu believed it to be gaudy, but what his lover wanted, his lover would have.** _

**“Bright vermilion? Really? Isn’t that too garish? Maybe we should repaint it?”**  Sunggyu pondered, as he doubted Woohyun’s expertise when it came to interior decorating.

 

**“Look who’s talking: have you taken a look at your airport fashion?  Even after all these years, it hasn’t improved very much!”**

 

Woohyun loved to tease Sunggyu whenever he could. At first glance, it seemed mean, but Sunggyu was confident enough as a person to handle whatever joke Woohyun sent his direction.

 

**“To be quite honest, I think it’s the perfect colour, Sunggyu!  It’s vibrant, it’s warm, it’s welcoming…It’s us, don’t you think?”**

 

Woohyun placed himself behind Sunggyu, and laced his arms around the elder’s waist. Being all alone with Sunggyu made him feel safe.  Infinite’s career ended after a solid 15 years, and all members settled down. A lucky few found wives, some had secretive boyfriends. Woohyun and Sunggyu’s relationship had been going for so long, so they decided to move in together and make the most out of their lives. They both felt developed, they felt alive. The idol life had been a stressful one, but the two men supported each other the most they could.

 

Perhaps they fought once in a while, just like they did early into their career, but they made up every time. Scandals, exhausting touring, Infinite went through it all. And Sunggyu was always there when Woohyun doubted himself. In return, Woohyun could sense Sunggyu’s bottled up emotions, therefore he did his best to comfort him without bursting the leader’s emotional bubble. Both of them dealt with emotions differently, and they were aware of it.  Their mutual respect of each other’s boundaries was what made their relationship so strong. Their union was meant to last the longest it could.

 

And it did. Of course, their life in entertainment did not end the moment Infinite did. They still participated in variety shows, and sometimes put out songs for dramas. But as much as music had been their passion for over a decade, that’s not what they loved the most.

 

Of all things in this world, Woohyun and Sunggyu liked coming home to one another other more than anything else. Seeing their other half in the morning upon waking up was something else they liked. In moments like those, nothing could go wrong. They were far away from the hustle and bustle of the celebrity life, resting in each other’s warm embrace for hours. It’s that display of affection that made them enjoy post-idol life even more than all the years they had spent doing what they loved the most, singing. The two halves fused to become whole.

 

Their life after Infinite’s retirement was still as joyful as the day of their first win, or perhaps even more.

As they turned older, they became even happier.

 

_**(vi)     Red was the colour of the straight line announcing Woohyun’s death, and of the rose Sunggyu placed on his grave.** _

 

Alas, Sunggyu did not expect everything to end this way. It had started as what seemed to be a simple flu, nothing of considerable harm. Woohyun’s kisses and touches were as intense as ever, fuel Sunggyu used to power through the day. Nothing was wrong with Woohyun,  _his_  Woohyun. It was just a small illness. It would pass.

 

But much to his chagrin,  _it didn’t_. Day by day, it worsened. Woohyun’s strong presence had become feeble, his smile was dim, and his voice, fragile.  He then began spending all day in bed: first at home, then at the hospital.

 

The doctor who took care of Woohyun introduced himself as Dr. Song, but to both him and Sunggyu, his true identity was that of the Grim Reaper.

 

 **“The diagnostic results are out,”** said the doctor in a serious tone.  “ **You have about a month left, Mr. Nam, so it’s time to bid your loved ones _adieu_ while you’re still able to do so.”**

 

No one wanted to believe it, but the professional said so, therefore it had to be the truth, as hard to handle as it was. On the first ten days of the month, Woohyun told his closest friends everything he had to say, and thanked them for being there for him. During the next ten days, his pain became stronger and so were the morphine shots the nurses gave him, making him spiral down into a daze where he could only blubber nonsensical things Sunggyu worked hard to decipher, but to no avail. Every waking moment of his life, Woohyun was drugged, the only moment where he could find peace being the few hours he slept every day. And Sunggyu stayed by his side the most he could, holding his frail hand, uttering soft I-love-yous every once in a while, hoping Woohyun could hear him.

 

“I love you” was the last thing Sunggyu said to Woohyun. On the twenty-seventh day of the month of March, Nam Woohyun’s pulse dropped to zero, and the machine he was plugged to emitted a beep more painful than any injury could be to Sunggyu. They were set out to have a good life, and it all ended when Woohyun had just reached 40 years of age.

 

But Sunggyu knew Woohyun hadn’t lived his life in vain. From insecure trainee to confident idol, he adored his fans, adored his family, adored his bandmates, and adored Sunggyu. Perhaps it ended too early, but at least they never wasted a single moment of their lives.

 

Sunggyu held an intimate funeral for Woohyun, sometime in April. Too close to his birthday, he thought, but it was in his best interests to pay his respects to his late lover as early as he could.

 

A faint shower doused the ground while tears ran down Sunggyu’s face. The graveyard was lifeless and empty. He had prepared a single bouquet of red roses to decorate Woohyun’s grave.  He knew it had been his favorite colour. Sunggyu missed him, but thankfully, memories of their relationship were still engraved in his mind, in words and in pictures. It was better to have loved and lost, than have never loved at all.

 

_**(end)     Red had been the colour of their love.** _

__


End file.
